Muslim Women’s Day: How, When And What Sparked The National Holiday

It’s 2017, and Muslim women have been one of the most suppressed and oppressed groups in the United States- and abroad- for entirely too long.

With Islamophobia rising exponentially in light of Donald Trump’s presidency, and the fourth wave of feminism taking a stand against the backlash more than ever, Muslim Girl, a website dedicated to sharing personal accounts of Islamic women, has collaborated with several websites and news platforms, such as The Huffington Post, Refinery29, Tumblr, and even Twitter.

The website has been around since 2009. The founder, Amani Alkhat, an 18 year old high school senior at the time, launched the website from her bedroom, in order to “normalize the word ‘Muslim’ for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.”

The partnered websites are showing their support by publishing articles, stories, and personal narratives written by Muslim women across the globe.

Refinery 29 gives the scoop on how to get involved in your community, raising the voices of Muslim women everywhere:

1. Amplify the voices of Muslim women in your social feeds. Reblog, RT, and share their stories and personal messages today.

2. Share the experiences of Muslim women. You’ll see these stories, images, and videos publish across our site and many others today — highlight the ones that resonate with you.

3.Participate in the conversation. Use the #MuslimWomensDay hashtag to take part in the discussion going on all day long (and hopefully well into the future). The combatting of stereotypes and of hate starts with discourse first and foremost.

The hashtag #MuslimWomensDay has been circulating social media, with accomplishments by Muslim women recognized by users:

The movement has been cognizant of the recent adversity regarding Islam and women alike, and hopes to shed light onto these issues, while spreading a message of peace.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, founder Amani Alkhat shared her beliefs on why we need the holiday:

“There are so many conversations unfolding around us right now about the women’s movement and the Muslim ban, and Muslim women are rarely given the space to be heard above the noise. This also comes at a time when Muslim women have become the most visible targets of anti-Muslim bigotry. I hope that #MuslimWomensDay is a launching pad for greater and more inclusive representation for Muslim women in the media.”

To share your own story, send writing pieces to editorial@muslimgirl.com.